This might be a performance that transforms the environment and atmosphere into actions, a fusion of music, painting, and the energy of the body, or perhaps a ritual saluting to the heavens, earth, and the universe.

The performance draws inspiration from a week-long artistic/music residency. This residency allowed every musician, both local and international, to unconsciously "inhale the Qi (energy)." "Inhale the Qi" is a unique creative methodology of Mr. Shen Aiqi, the ink painting master of the Art Museum, conveying a philosophy of life and art where humans breathe together with nature. Although "Inhale the Qi" is reminiscent of Taoist principles, the performance integrates more International shamanic rituals. This includes using drumbeats to guide performers into a state of "conscious travel" and intentionality in seeking power animals. In fact, the Daoist concept of "unity of heaven and man" aligns with the shamanic worldview. This performance attempts to use the most primitive, spontaneous rituals to "gather" the energy of nature into tangible artistic installations, circulating, releasing, and transmitting it to everyone present.

Performance documentary highlights

The performance is divided into three parts:

1. Improvisational Physical Theatre

2. Participatory Live Painting

3. Painting Projection

Suddenly, people hear the sound of bamboo pieces colliding with each other. They turn their attention to the white gauze installation, where a person (Tan Tan), with her face covered by tree roots, stumbles out from the deep forest. Moving in a non-human manner, she navigates the fantastical space filled with white gauze, ropes, and bells. Wherever she goes, the bamboo pieces on her body leave behind crisp sounds, and her movements trigger enchanting chimes. At times, she makes sounds resembling animals, blending with the genuine sounds of birds and frogs in the forest. After a while, as if unable to find a way out of the rope maze, she wearily collapses on the ground.

Immediately after, a deep and powerful shamanic drumbeat occurs, accompanied by a burst of light that transforms the cedar forest into a theater.

The drummer sits down beside the fallen “tree spirit” and begins a rhythmic drumming. The “tree spirit” awakens, seemingly controlled by the drumbeat, convulsing and rolling with each beat.

Shortly after, another instrument's sound emerges from behind them. An exotic musician (Prince Louriss) walks over and sits down on the other side of her. His music is enchanting and distant, evoking a sense of weeping and storytelling.

The “tree spirit” gradually sits up, lifting the tree roots covering her face high above her head, resembling the growth of antlers. Then, she begins a ritualistic and ethereal song. This song is the power song bestowed upon her during the shamanic journey with the drumbeat.

As the drumbeat intensifies, she suddenly starts running through the forest, setting the hanging wind chimes in motion, creating a clear and chaotic melody. It seems as though she is chasing some invisible creature…

After a while, she finds something, cupping it with her hands, then runs back to the two musicians who are sitting with closed eyes on the ground. She proceeds to blow air over their heads one by one. Afterward, as if infused with energy, both of them stand up and join the movements within the installation. Thus, the drumbeat, musical tones, singing, and various bell sounds weave together into a symphony.

Onlookers may not comprehend; they have just performed a ritual to find their power animals.

Then, she brings a basin of ink and starts wielding a brush, freely creating strokes on the white gauze using the brush of Mr. Shen Aiqi. The ink meanders, resembling how the environment and atmosphere here have transformed into a painting through her "Inhaling the Qi."

Unexpectedly, she invites the audience to come down into the cedar forest, join her in painting, and together play music with the various bells. She even allows the audience to paint on the white cloth she is wearing, and then she throws the transformed black-and-white garments into the sky…

The rhythmic and steady drumbeat continues. Excited audience members wander through the ink-stained gauze, walking and trailing the ropes, ringing bells, feeling the essence of the earth and plants lingering around them.

The lights go out, but the performance is not entirely over. In an instant, the forest is illuminated again, this time by artworks projected onto the tree trunks and white gauze—the wash paintings created by Shen Aiqi.

The next evening, Tan Tan returns to the location and unexpectedly encounters the one who contributed to her inspiration, Mr. Shen Aiqi. Together, they once again admire the artistic collaboration between humans and nature.